1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to arrangements for forming working positions or working areas which are equipped with supply connections for power, gaseous and/or liquid media, and for communications, monitoring and the like, in laboratories, production locations, testing and research areas, and wherein there are provided on the one hand, table-like, stand-like and/or cupboard-like working and standing position elements, and on the other hand connecting devices which are spatially associated with the working and standing position elements but which are mounted separately therefrom, for the supply of power, gaseous and/or liquid media, and for communications, monitoring and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR .sctn.1.97-1.99
German Patent specification No. 1 690 171 discloses rail-like combined connecting devices for supplying terminal or take-off points in hospitals, laboratories and the like, with electrical power, gases and liquids, and which can be adapted in respect of their length, configuration and arrangement to the particular requirements of space and position, for example the spacings between beds, the dimensions of the laboratory benches and the like. Column-like connecting devices for various supply and discharge systems for corresponding use in hospitals, laboratories and the like are disclosed in European patent specification No. 58819. However, those known rail-like and column-like combined connecting devices suffer from the disadvantage that they can only be designed for a limited number of supply and discharge systems. Therefore, in regard to use in laboratories, production locations, test areas and research areas, they only represent a supplement to the laboratory benches and the like which are themselves fitted with supply and discharge systems. In particular, the known combined connecting devices are not suitable for procedures involving a high level of purity (gas and liquids), for compressed gas procedures, and for measuring and filtering operations, or they cannot be easily adapted for such use. In addition, the known combined connecting devices, such as for existing laboratory benches fitted with supply and discharge systems, lack safety in that there is the risk of explosion due to an accumulation of explosive gas-air mixtures within the cavities formed in the known connecting devices and associated laboratory benches.
In laboratories, changes in the tasks to be performed frequently occur, which make it necessary to alter the supply and discharge systems, for example alterations in the delivery of and controlled removal of other kinds of gases. In addition, changes in the tasks to be performed or alterations in the development or investigation task involved require modification of the form and the size of the working surfaces and standing surfaces required. Such modifications generally cannot be readily achieved with the known laboratory benches which carry and guide supply and discharge systems.